Volume 2 Chapter 4-2 The Genderbent Female Traveler, Entering The Mountain Country
But the part about him being a skilled craftsman hit a nerve.
If he could take care of wagon repairs and fix everyday tools, that'd save us a lot of time. And if Georges was right, he could even maintain weapons. That'd be a dream—just hand off all the maintenance work. It wasn't amateur stuff, but still, if there was someone better? She'd rather let them handle it.
"Fine. If I win, I don't want the trouble. You're in charge of babysitting him."
Eleonora's dry chuckle pushed Drahomir over the edge. His whole head—and even his neck—flushed bright red.
"How dare you treat my clan like babies! Don't cry if you die by accident!"
With heavy stomps and his short limbs flailing, Drahomir stormed off, red with fury. Eleonora watched him leave, then spoke casually.
"So that's one point for me in this mind game. Let's hope he's so mad, he gets sloppy in the fight."
"Um... you made him mad on purpose?"
Elodia asked, eyes wide. Eleonora shrugged.
"This is just normal before a fight. You stir things up a little, that's all."
But François muttered under his breath.
"Yeah, and now he might die because of it."
"He might even try something dirty."
Georges said with a sigh. He turned to load more supplies into the wagon.
Eleonora scratched her head and made a sour face.
"Well... I'll deal with it somehow."
* * *
The next morning, in the Dwarven Kingdom of Bearer, a large square near the main street had a makeshift ring roped off. A platform had been set up overnight. Drahomir stood there already, fully armed and clearly annoyed.
His armor was solid metal from head to toe, complete with a horned helmet. He held a halberd—the standard weapon of the Ironbreakers, his military unit.
"Just how much do you plan to insult me?!"
Across from him, Eleonora hadn't even bothered with a helmet. She wore her usual leather armor and carried Tottnok, her magic blade.
"I do have metal armor, but I've never really used it. I'm better with this."
Whoosh!
Drahomir spun his halberd through the air, the steel cutting the wind.
"I swear on the honor of the Ironbreaker!"
Somehow, a crowd had already gathered, shouting and cheering. A few wore the same armor and helmets as Drahomir.
"Let's do this."
Eleonora said, drawing Tottnok.
The moment her blade cleared its sheath, Drahomir lunged.
His halberd gave him reach, making up for his short stature. But more than that, it was the raw strength—he swung the heavy weapon like it weighed nothing.
"Die!"
He followed up with another wild swing, using pure force.
Elodia and Johanna hugged each other, terrified, as the halberd ripped through the air with a nasty slicing sound.
The crowd booed and heckled Eleonora for dodging instead of fighting back.
"Are you just gonna keep running?!"
"Fight fair!"
Most in the crowd figured the miner would win. A miner's strength versus a wandering swordswoman? No contest.
So when Eleonora finally blocked the halberd with her glowing magic blade, the explosion of sound and light made the crowd erupt.
Tottnok stopped the weapon dead, not even chipped. Sparks flew as it began to push the halberd back—and Drahomir began to sweat.
"N-No way...!"
He'd fought real warriors before. Strong ones.
But something inside him screamed the truth.
This one's the strongest.
As he tried to push back, he saw it—a foot flying toward him at an angle.
WHAM!
The kick slammed into his side, lifting Drahomir—armor and all, nearly 150 kilograms—into the air. Before he could recover, Eleonora grabbed his helmet's horn and smashed him into the ground with enough force to nearly snap his neck.
"Gah!?"
He couldn't even breathe, stunned.
His hand moved by instinct, swinging the halberd. But it was too slow.
Way too slow.
Eleonora caught the handle with her left hand, pinned his chest with her boot, and pressed Tottnok against his throat.
"Still want to keep fighting?"
"I... I will fight!"
He strained to lift the weapon again, but it didn't move. Her foot held him down.
"Still?"
"Yes!"
"Stop it! You're embarrassing yourself!"
A sharp voice cut through the square. Eleonora turned.
Six dwarves carried a palanquin, and sitting inside it was a stocky figure in fine robes, staring down at Drahomir with a scowl.
"Y-Your Majesty?! What are you doing here?!"
"I came to see what all the noise was about. But more importantly—don't act like you haven't lost when your back's in the dirt."
The palanquin dropped low as the carriers knelt.
The dwarf king stepped down and walked toward Eleonora.
"Traveler. I've seen your strength. But this man is one of my most loyal subjects. Please, that's enough."
Eleonora didn't say a word. She slid Tottnok back into its sheath and stepped off Drahomir's chest.
"You have my thanks. I'm glad I didn't have to lose such a warrior. Come with me to the palace."
With that, the king climbed back onto the palanquin. The bearers turned and left.
Eleonora watched them go and muttered under her breath.
"Why does my life keep turning into this kind of drama?"
Character Notes:
• Georges - A rugged-faced knight and the only lower noble among the Twelve Sacred Blades. He volunteers to lead the cavalry, seeking promotion and recognition. He harbors ambitions to marry Princess Elodia.
• Drahomir - A member of the royal palace warrior group, the Steel Breakers. He is short in stature (around 150 cm tall) but fierce and protective of his clan. His appearance includes miner attire, and he is quick to anger, especially when it comes to Victor's decisions. He challenges Eleonora to a duel to test her strength.
• Elodia - The second princess of Loriengita. She has shown favor to Georges, who aims to marry her by achieving military merit.
• François - The fourth son of Baron Lanramoncie of the Loriengita Empire. The one who join the tournament before.
• Kingdom of Bearer - A kingdom ruled by the Miner King, known for its skilled miners and steel crushers. Located in a region where mining is a significant industry. The kingdom is described as having a central square where public events, like duels, take place.
• Johanna - Silvia's new name.
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